dutchman
Well-Known Member
Des Lynam has questioned the BBC's use of female commentators for its London 2012 Olympics coverage.
Jacqui Oatley and Christine Still have been among the corporation's few lead female voices, for football and gymnastics respectively.
Writing in his Daily Telegraph column, Lynam opined: "I have come to the conclusion that while female presenters have done a fine job, the female voice is not so attractive for actual commentating and in some cases become grating."
The former Match of the Day anchor went on to praise the BBC for "generally doing a fantastic job in bringing the Games to us".
However, he later criticised the corporation's deployment of his MOTD successor Gary Lineker in BBC One's coverage.
"Gary Lineker, the BBC's highest-paid sports presenter who was much touted before the Games as the corporation's No 1 for London 2012, again looked as though he was playing second fiddle as the spotlight in the primetime programme turned back from the Aquatics Centre to track and field," he wrote.
"Lineker's role seemed to be reduced to that of continuity announcer. One night he even linked to a trail of EastEnders. In my view he should have been in the stadium.
"It doesn't take a genius to ask a few intelligent questions of the likes of Michael Johnson and Denise Lewis. I know. I did the job for the Olympic Games, the World and European Championships."